Okay.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to a regularly scheduled meeting of the zoning commission of the city of Danbury.

May 12th, 2026 at 7 p.m.

Let the record show we will begin to roll call at 7 08.

Commissioner Bennett.

Commissioner Botello.

Here.

Mr.

Fuchs.

Yeah.

Commissioner Hall.

Yeah.

Commissioner James.

We're going to put absent for now, but she's working her way in.

Uh Commissioner Jowdy.

Yeah.

Commissioner O'Neill.

Here.

Commissioner Trata.

Present.

Commissioner Nee James.

We'll do the same with him.

Absent.

See if he's working his way in as well.

Commissioner Novas.

Yeah.

Commissioner O'Laughlin.

Here.

He's here.

I see him.

And I am Chairman Hadad.

Uh let me put in um Commissioner O'Laughlin in for James.

And we'll see if uh he stays or if uh he goes, depending on when she comes in.

You good with that, George?

Good.

Uh the next regular meeting is scheduled for May 26, 2026.

Uh, if we can all stand, if everyone has flags, hold them up.

Pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic.

One nation under God indivisible.

With liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I forgot to uh put on my uh YouTube channel here.

Uh okay.

Uh everybody should have received their minutes of uh April 14th.

Uh 2026 in the packet and it's public public record.

Commission members, what's your pleasure on the minutes?

Uh Commissioner Botello.

And make a motion to accept the minutes of April 14th, 2026.

Second.

Uh motion to accept, second by commit uh by uh Commissioner Botello, second by Commissioner Hall.

Any discussion?

Any conversation, additions, deletions, modifications, not hearing any.

All those in favor signify saying aye.

Aye.

Proposed.

No opposition.

Uh let me read our excuse me, Mr.

Chairman.

Yes.

Mrs.

James is coming on right now.

So Commissioner James, hello.

Hi there.

I'm here.

All right.

I was just gonna read the legal notice, so I didn't read it yet.

So you qualify.

So Commissioner Lochlin, thank you very much for your service this evening.

Commissioner James, you will be sitting in for Commissioner James.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

But Michelle, you have to stand up and do the Pledge of Allegiance first.

Oh, I did it already.

Oh, all right.

You're good.

All right.

Uh this meeting of the Danbury Zoning Commission is being held on Zoom as a virtual meeting, even though this meeting is a virtual meeting.

Members of the public and interested parties continue to have the opportunity to participate in the meeting in a couple of different ways.

You could participate via Zoom and see the audio and video, or you can call in by phone and participate via audio only.

Please be aware that we may have to mute your microphone or telephone to avoid an echo or some other background noise.

This is also being streamed live via YouTube.

Instructions on how to participate in the meeting appear in the City of Danbury website and all the documents and materials that apply to the matters to be discussed during this meeting, including the agenda, are also available on the City of Danbre website.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact the City of Danbury Planning and Zoning Department.

As a reminder, the entire meeting will be posted on and can be seen on the City of Danbury website.

We will follow the post at the end as per standard practice.

If prior to the meeting, any questions or comments on agenda items are submitted via email to Director Al Bakri, those comments will be read during the appropriate portion of the meeting.

Finally, please remember that technology glitches sometimes do occur.

Please be patient if that happens.

All right, legal notice for this evening.

Let me check this box off.

A legal notice.

Notice here by giving to the zoning commission of the city of Danbury.

We will hold a public hearing commencing at 7 p.m.

on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, and a web-based meeting hosted on Zoom to consider the following matter.

Petition of Waleed Al Bakri, planning director to amend this master plan for the reserve, specifically the project phasing and future use update in the phase plan from the 2016 addendum.

A copy of this application is on file in the planning and zoning office for public inspection.

Parties and interests and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard at this time.

The agenda will be posted on the city website and will include instructions on how to join the Zoom meeting or view the meeting live via YouTube.

Theodore J.

Had Ed Chairman Junior Chairman post on the city website in Tom Kirk's office on April 27, 2026.

Published in the news times on May 1st, 2026 and May 8th, 2026.

Purchase Order 2026002.

Additionally, this agenda was filed in the town clerk's office on Thursday, May 7th, 2026 at 508 p.m.

The first petition this evening is a petition of Walid Albakri, Planning Director, to amend the master plan for the reserve specifically, the project phasing and future use update and the phase plan from the 2016 addendum.

Let me begin with the planning recommendation.

May 7, 2026.

To Theodore J.

Hadid Jr., Chairman Damry Zoning Commission from Arnold E.

Faneldi Jr., Chairman Damray Planning Commission regarding 83A referral petition of Walid El Bakri Planning Director to amend the master plan for the reserve project phasing and future use update and the phase plan from the 2016 addendum.

At the web-based Zoom meeting held on May 6, 2026, the City of Danbury Planning Commission voted to give the above reference petition a positive recommendation for the following reasons.

This proposed change to the land use classification for phase 10 to permit construction of a fire station is consistent with the plan of conservation development POCD directive to enhance public safety and community service accessibility.

Additionally, it addresses a documented deficit in the emergency response infrastructure on the city's west side.

The motion for a positive recommendation was made by Mrs.

Hofstetter, seconded by Mr.

Chioccio and passed unanimously by a voice vote with three eyes from Mr.

Chiochio, Mrs.

Hofstetter, and Chairman Fanaldi.

Regarding the 83B referral, we have from uh dated on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026, 847 a.m.

Uh, from Tucker Beckett, Westcog.

Good morning.

Thank you to this is to join Reed.

Uh, thank you for submitting the attached referral to Westcog for review.

It is the opinion of the regional staff that the proposed master plan amendment is primarily of local concern with limited intermunicipal impact.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Okay.

Um director, do you want to go over your staff report?

Up you're on mute, director.

Good evening, Mr.

Chairman and everyone.

Good evening.

Mr.

Chairman, would you like to actually aid into the minutes?

The letter that we received from I didn't know if you wanted that or before or after.

Yeah, please go ahead.

All right, let me grab these.

Uh Commission members.

Um commission members.

I'm going to read two letters into the record right now.

They're part of your packet.

One of them was on March 17th, uh, from Fairway Asset Management 2 LLC, Roman numeral two.

Uh, to the director, uh, regarding development parcel 14b, the reserve damp, Connecticut 18.218 acre parcel phase 10.

Dear Mr.

Albakri, please be advised that Fairway Asset Management 2 LLC consents to the filing of the petition to amend the reserve master plan and gives the city of Danbury express authorization to allow for the above property to be allowed for municipal uses specifically for the use of a firehouse on a portion of said parcel.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 203-798-9100.

Very truly yours, Fairway Asset Management.

And this is from Gary R.

Michael Jr.

member, and I believe he's in attendance.

You may or may not hear from him later on today.

Uh, commission members, additionally, when you open up your packet, you saw a letter dated March 19th from Toll Brothers.

Um disregard that letter as it is superseded by the letter dated May 19th that I'm going to read into the record and will be part of the record.

May 19th to the director uh regarding this petition.

Uh, dear Mr.

Albakri, please be advised that the toll connecticut 3 LP in recognition of the potential improvement to emergency response times and insurance rates for reserve members, supports the above petition to allow for a fire station on the above parcel.

The support is conditioned on the following change explicitly added to the text of the 2026 addendum to the master plan.

All development in the above phase shall have ingress and egress exclusively from old Ridgberry Road.

Reach out to our office at 203-616-4900 if you have any questions regarding this letter.

If you have any questions regarding this letter, Jack Lanneman, division president with a copy also to Gary Michael Fairway Asset Management.

Commission members, since we received this letter on May 19th, 2026.

Um it's safe to say that Toll Brothers is aware of the public hearing tonight, they are free to attend tonight.

It looks like looks like they did, and they are also free to speak if they would like to.

Yeah, I can go ahead now.

Let's go to the director for uh staff report comments.

Hey, can you all see the slide I have here?

Yes, yes, sir.

We go.

Okay, so before I delve into the actual petition, let me give you a little bit of background about what's going on.

So the Zerb Master Plan, it's has been going on for almost 24 years, and it is on the west side of the city.

I have a map here, but I will have a more detailed map later on.

What I would like to emphasize here is that the applicant is the planning department on behalf of the whole city.

Usually the master plan is amended by the applicant, however, in our case, we have the authorization authorization from the two owners for the city to actually go ahead and apply for the petition.

So a little bit of background here.

The reserve started back in 2002, so it's almost like 24 years now.

Back in 2004, there was a comprehensive vision to the master plan.

Following that in 2016, and I have it here on the slide, there was an addendum to the 2004 master plan.

Following that in 2021, there were a visions to the 2016 addendum.

So as you see, lots of changes happened over the years.

The latest one, which is the one that we are working on now, is the one you see here.

It was applied for in 2020, and it was advised back in 2021, was approved by the zoning commission.

As you see, it doesn't look very professional.

The changes were done by hand, and I'm sure you have seen it in the packet we sent you.

This is just how it was done, and we are trying to clean it up as well.

So, what are we exactly talking about?

If you look at the left-hand side, you will see 11 different phases.

The total acres of the whole master plan is almost 546 acres.

And you can see here, I know it's too small, but if you look closely, you will see what happened or what is proposed to have in each phase.

What we are focusing on here is phase 10, which is the one I don't know.

Can you see my pointer here?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

This is the one we are talking about.

So it's at the intersection of their vote and old edge barrier, and it's a corner lot, it's about 18.2 acres.

However, that being said, it has a lot of wetland, it had a wildlife corridor.

The land is not even, it has a big slope.

So, what could actually be built on it wouldn't exceed 10,000 square feet?

So, what are we doing here now?

I'm gonna move on to the next slide.

If you look at the table here, and I admit it's too small, but I wanted to show it on one slide.

Can you see phase 10 here?

Yes, all that we are trying to achieve is if you look all the way to the right-hand side, you will see that this phase was meant for office.

We are trying to move this to be 10,000 square feet for what we call neighborhood community facility, which is the fire station.

We are not making any other substantial changes.

Along the same line, if you recall, I said at some point we are trying to clean up the document as well.

What you see here, for example, is the number of units being built, and when it was approved, of course, this is a little bit outdated because the last time this table was updated was back in 2021.

We want to update the numbers, are not accurate.

Along the same line, if you look at the tables here, this is actually the number that we have so far.

So you want to update tables just in terms of numbers, we are not making substantial changes.

So that's in a nutshell what I wanted to talk about.

But since we are talking about what you received from the planning commission, as mentioned in the report that was allowed by uh the chairman, the one that came from the planning commission.

Yes, what we're trying to achieve is in line with our POCD policies.

As you know, when we look at any changes, we have to look at our POCD policies and to see if it's consistent or not.

Of course, having more emergency services is in line with one of the main goals of our POCD, which is providing emergency service everywhere in the city.

I'm sure you must know it by now, but we have a deficiency in the West side of the city.

The west side has been actually expanding, and we need to catch up in terms of fire uh having an additional fire station.

That leads me to the final point, which is if you are to approve the petition, please add a new condition that access and exit for the site will have to come from the east side, meaning from old edgebury.

This was a condition of approval by toll brothers as well, and it has been the plan all along that when we build it, the access and the exit out of the site will be coming from the east side, not from the neighborhood.

Hey Ted, back to you.

If you have any questions, I would have I I do.

Let me see how I can uh let me see how I can throw this together.

Um, on page five of the just curious, yes, on page five of the uh of the petition, uh, where you have the phase 10 where you have the strikeout and then you have the uh new language, yes.

So it the master plan has it as offices, banking, business services, no profits, and you're changing it to neighborhood retail services and community facilities, right?

That's correct, yes.

So, but then it says if the fire station is not developed, it can still be used for offices, banking, business services, no profits.

Why didn't you just create it where it says offices banking services no profits as it stands, and also add neighborhood retail services and community facilities?

Um in the event we have to revert back to it, are you gonna be coming back to this commission?

So you are absolutely right.

We could have done it the way you are talking about, but the way we did it is because we are 85 to 90 percent sure it will be built as a fire station.

I I know maybe even more than 90.

Okay, it is I understand that, but you understand where I'm coming from portion of it.

I work in the planning profession, so we have to look ahead.

So this is more like you know, in just in case it's unlikely, we don't have to come back to you guys saying, Hey, can we amend it again?

Okay, um, the other thing that I have to talk about is um it says here all on the toll brothers letter, uh, all development in the above phase shall have ingress and egress exclusively from old Ridgebury Road.

That I'm interpreting as the development and construction of the firehouse will only come from old Ridgebury Road, and this firehouse should not be restricted from traveling through the project should an emergency take place, for example, a car fire on Sawmill Road or God forbid any emergency where Ridgefield may need our assistance or Brewster or anything like that.

So I'm reading this to say all development in the above phase shall have ingress and egress exclusively from old Ridgebury Road, and I don't think it in my opinion, it means anything more than that.

Further, this commission cannot condition an approval, so we're gonna have to rely on you to make that language that we approve without having to condition it, correct?

Yes, so what we'll you'll be doing is that you say approval and you add the sentence that toll brothers would like to have, and later on we will add it.

Similar, I will just show it to you.

If I go back to the old, you see the language here.

Uh where what do I look at?

In red.

Oh, yes.

So this was added during the discussion of the zoning commission back in 2021.

So you will add something that needs to be that the staff will add later on after your approval.

Okay, but what I'm saying is, since we're here tonight looking at the toll brothers letter, I would want this exact sentence to be as their request.

I would want this exact sentence to be what you use and nothing else.

Can that be arranged?

Yes, you can actually say the actual provision or clause, and we will add it somewhere in the document.

Okay, because it's coming, it's coming as their request, and as I'm receiving it, I think it's perfectly stated as per what I believe would be protections for toll brothers, the city of Danbury, and the residents.

All right, and this I just wanted to know this has been the discussion all along, which I explained to uh told by others, however, they still wanted it to be added in the case.

Yeah, no, no, I understand, but I didn't want it to be expanded beyond this sentence.

Yes, that's all that's all I'm saying.

So, since I don't want it to be expanded beyond the sentence, the sentence works perfectly.

That would work.

All right.

Um, and I think that's all I have now.

Uh something else may come up.

So let me let me ask the commission members.

Oh, I have I have a question from Commissioner Botella.

Commissioner Voltello, go ahead.

Yes, thank you very much.

And uh Mr.

Al-Dakri, uh, could you explain?

Do you have construction plans for this uh for the presentation and what the applicant is going to be doing?

That's number one.

Is that gonna be one fire truck, two fire trucks?

Plus, is there gonna be an ambulance there?

And the next question is there's also a fire department already that's presently on mill plane.

Is this going to be an addition to, or are they gonna be closing down mill plane, and this is gonna supersede?

Director, I think you can answer that for just as an incidental.

That's not what we would be we are looking at this evening, however.

But as an incidental, I would mention that as far as I know, you will keep the one on mill plane.

It's more like an expansion, it's a needed one because there has been a lot going on in the uh on the side.

Another question you were asking about, it's premature to talk about construction now.

All what we're time to do is we know from our engineering department that the site will work fine for the fire station, but once this is done, there will be a sign plan application, including construction, not at this stage.

Okay, thank you.

And you have another question.

Uh commissioner, I forgot.

So you had more than two.

No, that was it.

Thank you.

I just wanted to see uh if it's gonna basically be an addition, and what the services will be offered to that area, but so you at this point you don't know if it's gonna have an ambulance as well.

And I'll just say my understanding it will be mainly a fire station, however, they might add at some point an ambulance.

I'm not sure.

All right, thank you.

I I think director, please correct me if I'm wrong.

With some of the other markups and enhancements and corrections and replacing handwritten notes, setting all of that stuff aside.

I think tonight's petition is basically what boils down to a nutshell is for us to decide if we're willing to revise the master plan on phase 10 that allows office banking business services and no profits to neighborhood retail services and community facilities, which would include a firehouse.

Is that's that's basically it?

Am I correct?

Very simple.

That's it.

That's exactly what's good.

Thank you.

I'm glad I'm uh I'm not uh missing anything here.

So Commission members, I'll ask if anybody has any questions now.

Uh director, maybe if you could take down your screen share.

I will yeah.

That way I could see some blocks and faces.

Let me see if I see any hands here.

We're back to a full screen here with uh everybody's commission members.

Any questions?

Nothing.

Director, thank you very much.

So let me ask if there's anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition.

Uh anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition, Mr.

Chairman.

Oh, Councilman Rotello, yes.

Thank you very much.

Good evening, uh, Mr.

Chairman, members of the commission.

Interested parties, Paul Rotolo, 13 Lindenplay Stanbury.

It has been, as the director pointed out, nearly 24 years, which means next November, not this November, but next November.

November 27, it will be 25 years.

It'll be literally 25 years since we sat in chambers and approved this.

And the approval was always intended, I believe, back then.

It was a long involved meeting, but I think it was always intended to have uh facilities like fire stations and police stations up there at some point, particularly when the uh project was finished.

And thank God we haven't needed one up there yet.

Uh, but I would certainly like to see one built before we actually need one.

To that end, the uh taxpayers have committed 10, 15, 20, 25 million in a recent bond to do such a fire station somewhere on the west side.

And I think it's always been understood that that fire station on the west side would primarily be servicing uh the largest development on the west side, which is the reserve.

So, what better place to put a fire station than actually in the reserve?

There was a lot of talk about putting one on Mill Plain.

And we all know the situation with Mill Plain, you get stuck in traffic, and God forbid there's a fire on the west side, or there's a fire in the reserve, and the fire trucks can't get to the fire because there's an accident on Mill Plain, or the highway stumping cars because there's an accident on 84 or it's backed up.

So put one where you need one, and if you're gonna need one in the reserve, and at some point, undoubtedly it will be needed, put one in the reserve.

Okay.

So that's the background.

I support the petition.

I support the concept of having a fire station.

However, I I do have concerns about the conicil.

Uh all due respect to Toll Brothers, the city of Danbury taxpayers are the ones that are footing the bill.

If Toll Brothers wants to buy the parcel and build a fire station, they can then decide how they want to exit and entrance fire engines, which I suppose they could have a private firehouse up there.

But the taxpayers are doing this.

I'm doing this, you're doing this.

I'm not entirely comfortable with a prohibition of having an emergency exit at the firehouse that leads directly to reserve road.

I I I mean, there's there's a million scenarios where I can see fire trucks leaving and heading south to Ridgberry Road and getting stuck on Ridgebury Road because of a storm, a tree came down or whatever.

Meanwhile, there's a disaster happening in the reserve that they can't get to.

Councilman Rotello, if I can't, that's not that's not an issue.

It's all they're only talking about during the construction of the firehouse.

That's it.

Oh during the construction of the firehouse.

If if that if that is how can I put this?

If if if that can if the city of Danbury, uh I'm not talking about regular back and forth uh three o'clock in the morning rolling fire trucks down reserve road, because I understand it's a private road and they don't want the excess wear and tear.

I I just want to be assured that if there is a need to roll a truck into the reserve, they can enter from that parcel to reserve road without running a foul of some uh prohibition that toll brothers may have considered.

So that I need to hear that tonight.

If you're I'm I'm may I'm I'm I'm the in my opinion, and I'm standing for the record.

All development in the above phase shall have ingress and egress exclusively from old Ridge Bray Road.

That's telling me that the development of this phase, the construction of this phase until the day a certificate of occupancy is granted, they're gonna be coming in and out of Old Ridge Railroad.

Everything else is this is the United States of America, and we can do what we want.

Okay, that's exactly how I'm interpreting it.

I get that, but if we ask three lawyers, we'll get 10 different opinions.

So I'm telling you that I'm making this the record now.

I'll be asking for it as a vote.

And if it doesn't mean that, it's a deal breaker for me.

Okay, all right, good.

Because if I'm not saying it would be a deal breaker for me, I'd rather have a firehouse up there in any event, but I really would like at least an emergency entrance on a reserve road.

That aside, I I wholeheartedly support the project.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Commission members, any questions of Councilman Rotello?

Commission members.

Thank you, Councilman Rotello.

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

Anyone else wishing?

Oh, I'm sorry, director.

I just saw your hand go up.

Director, go ahead.

Just one clarification.

We have the uh the owner of Tollbaz as with us.

Maybe you want to ask them for clarification, what they meant in the clause that you were talking about.

I will.

I was gonna see if you wanted to raise his hand when I said anybody in favor.

So I'll uh we'll get to that.

Let me go around again.

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

I'll ask attorney Gary Michael if he has anything that he wants to add to this.

And I will also call on uh Mr.

Lanneman of Toll Brothers if they have anything that they would like to say.

I saw the microphone of Mr.

Lanneman go off.

Would you like to speak, Mr.

Lanneman?

Yeah, good evening, Mr.

Chairman.

How are you?

For the good.

Um toll brothers has no issue with fire trucks.

Um traversing over the roads of the reserve if they're responding to an emergency in a meeting we held recently uh with our members.

This was discussed, and um, they just wanted an assurances that the construction was going to front an old ridgebury road, and uh trucks wouldn't needlessly travel over their roads.

But to clarify, they and we have no issue with trucks responding to emergencies or operating in the normal course of business, traversing over the roads.

It was just meant to be the the exit um of the construction vehicles and of the entrance.

Well, thank you.

As far as I'm concerned, that statement and your desire is very reasonable.

Number one, number two, especially since it's like the second door on the left coming in from old Ridgebury Road.

That's that's where all the action is going to be happening anyway.

It makes absolutely no no sense for the any construction materials or subcontractors or anybody coming in from any other direction.

So I appreciate you clarifying that.

Uh, and thank you for coming this evening, and thank you for your letter as well.

Commission members uh I'm gonna ask if you have any questions of uh Mr.

Lanneman at this time.

Are you satisfied with that response?

Councilman Ortello, I'm gonna circle back to you.

You you happy with that, right?

100%.

Thank you.

Beautiful.

Uh attorney Michael, did you want to have anything to say?

Uh uh Chairman had it.

Uh thank you for the opportunity and to the the planning commission as well.

Uh honestly, no, I don't really have anything of substance to add.

Uh, in short, obviously we've had control of this parcel since on around 2012, and to to see something come to fruition or potentially come to fruition.

Um, you know, we view it as obviously a positive, not only for the for you know for the city and the residents of the west side, and obviously something we can do with this parcel.

So, all in all, we're we're happy to see something uh hopefully uh come to fruition here.

So I appreciate everyone's uh time this evening.

Oh, absolutely.

Thank you for joining in and for your letter as well.

Commission members, one more time.

Anything of attorney Michael or Mr.

Lanneman at this time.

Thank you.

I'll ask again.

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

Anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this petition?

Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to this petition?

Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to this petition?

Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to this petition?

Uh Ms.

Reed, am I correct in saying that we have no other pages?

We just have 16 participants.

Nobody else is waiting.

Nobody else is waiting, sir.

Beautiful.

So I got everybody covered.

Yeah.

One a bunch of little boxes inside of one big box on one page.

Nice.

Uh okay, uh, one more time.

Anybody wishing to speak in opposition to this petition?

Uh director, do you want to close us out?

And then I'm gonna ask if uh any commission members have any final questions of you.

Nothing to add.

I just uh I was not part of the discussion about acquiring the land.

So I know that's a lot of discussion that has been happening uh for I would say eight or nine months.

So this would be a great opportunity for the city.

And Naili, uh the one on Mel Plain that there was a side that the city was looking at did not materialize.

So, as far as I know, this is one maybe the only option the city has so far.

Sounds good.

Commission members, any this is your last chance if you have anything for uh the director this time, commission members.

Okay, we are not waiting on any exhibits, we're not waiting on any documents.

We don't have any more letters to read into the record.

Uh so we're not waiting for anything.

If any commission member wants to uh make a motion to close the public hearing this evening, Commissioner Botello?

Yes, Commissioner, I'd like to make a motion to close this public hearing.

Uh commission members, there's a motion for the public hearing by Commissioner Botello with a second by Commissioner Jowdy.

Any discussion?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye those opposed unanimously to close this public hearing this evening.

C L O S E D.

Thank you.

Uh Commission members, anybody since we're not waiting on any more documents?

Anybody want to move this to old old business for discussion, possible action?

Christian.

Commissioner, I'll make a motion to move this to old business for possible decision tonight.

Second.

There's a motion to move this old business for discussion and possible action.

Who made that second by Commissioner Votello?

Who made the second?

Commissioner Hall made that second.

I did Hall made uh Commissioner Hall made a second.

Thank you.

Um discussion.

Commission members, everybody feels as though they're gonna want to move this over for discussion possible action, not guaranteed, but possible action.

All those in favor seek by saying aye.

Aye those opposed.

So that's number one on our old business for discussion, possible action.

Thank you.

Uh we don't have any continuation of any public hearing this evening.

Uh Commission members under new business.

We have a petition of the city of Danbury by Waleed Al Bakri, planning director to amend sections 2B, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5E, 5F, 5G, 5i, 8C, 10b, and 10i of the zoning regulations, add sections 5j and 8f to the zoning regulations.

Public hearing is scheduled for June 23rd, 2026.

I'd like to get a motion for someone to receive the petition, refer to the planning commission for their recommendation.

Notify all surrounding communities that need to be notified according to the Connecticut General State Statutes, publish it in the town clerk's office and all other necessary required publications according to state statutes and set the public hearing date for June 23rd, 2026, as it's scheduled on this evening's agenda.

Motion as stated.

Motion is stated by Commissioner O'Neal.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner James.

Any discussion?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Number two under new business.

Petition of the city of the Ambry by Walid Al Bakri, planning director to amend the zoning map to implement a mixed use transit oriented district, MU-TOD.

The priority housing development overlay zone and create two conservation and traffic mitigation districts in compliance with HB 8002.

This public hearing is also scheduled, Commissioner members, for June 23rd, 2026.

I will entertain a motion to refer refer this to the planning commission for the recommendation.

Notify all surrounding communities that need to be notified according to the Connecticut General State Statutes.

Publish it in the Tom Kirk's office and all other necessary required publications according to state statutes and set the public hearing date for June 23rd, 2026 as it is scheduled on this evening's agenda.

Who wants to make that motion?

Thank you, Commissioner Trata.

Is there a second?

Thank you, Commissioner Fuch.

All those in favor saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed.

Let me just ask the director.

Director, these two petitions we've had discussions on before in the past.

This is just what we talked about.

We're ready to rock and roll.

Oh, unmute, please.

Let's go ahead, Chairman.

Yes, this is what we have been talking about over the last year as well.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

Let's see.

We're gonna go back now to old business for discussion of possible action.

Uh on our old business for discussion of possible action.

We have one petition, and it's a petition of Waleed El Bakri, planning director, to amend the master plan for the reserves, specifically the project phasing and future use update and the phase plan from the 2016 addendum.

The public hearing was opened on May 12, 2026, and the public hearing was closed on May 12, 2026.

Commission members.

What's your pleasure?

I see Commissioner Votello.

Yes, Mr.

Chairman.

I would like to make a motion to approve the application for the following reasons.

The proposed change to land use classification for phase 10 to permit construction of a fire station is consistent with a plan of conservation and development, the POCD directive to enhance public safety and community service accessibility.

Additionally, is addresses documented deficit in the emergency response infrastructure in the city west side.

Secondly, is that this is also a petition which will not adversely affect the health safety and welfare of the general public and therefore should be passed.

And okay, you did reference the plan of conservation development.

Um let me do this uh first.

Commissioner members, you had a you have a motion made with reasons by Commissioner Votello.

So I'll look for a second to that.

Second by uh uh oh, Commissioner Novis, you are an alternate tonight, so we can't take your second.

Um second by Commissioner James.

Uh before I move on this director, how because this does not come before us actually.

Um, I can't remember.

We're not gonna condition this approval on a language, but we do have to request where is it?

We do have to request to your department.

Uh so that should be part of the motion.

How do you want to how do you want to do that?

Or will the public or will the record stand?

Help me out.

I believe it should be part of the motion.

I think so too.

I think you should just add it to the motion, Ted.

Okay, that way it's covered.

There's no doubt.

See that uh Commissioner Botello to add to his motion one of the reasons that uh or one of the instructions is for the planning director to add exactly in the text of the amendment, the language all development in the above phase shall have ingress and egress exclusively from old ridge berry road.

Any further clarification of that sentence has been uh submitted on the record.

And would you consent to that?

Commissioner Botello.

Yes, duly noted.

And Commissioner James, were you the one who was second second?

Yes, yes, I did.

Will you continue to second with the addition of that?

Yes, I will.

Thank you.

So we have a motion uh with reasons.

Uh director, is that satisfactory?

That's perfect.

Yes, perfect.

Thank you.

Um, and a second to that.

Uh Commission members.

A yes is yes, a no is no.

Commissioner, Commissioner Bennett.

He's gonna try and figure out how to unmute that.

He's blocked.

Commissioner Botello.

Yes, Commissioner Fuchs.

Una unmute, Commissioner Fuchs.

Oops, yes.

There you go.

Uh Commissioner Hall.

Yes.

Commissioner James.

Yes.

Commissioner Jowdy.

Yes.

Commissioner O'Neill.

Yes.

Commissioner Trada.

Yes.

Uh, do we have Commissioner Bennett back?

Yes, we do.

Uh, yes.

Commissioner Bennett, yes.

I will vote yes and make it unanimous.

Nine zero.

So this uh this petition is approved.

Uh thank you, Director, for the uh good report, and thank you to the um two letter writers and two people, attorney Michael and uh Mr.

Lanahan that uh came in and spoke this evening.

Consident Wotello, thank you for serving your uh uh ward up there and your people.

Um are there any other matters?

Commission members, any other matters?

This is your time to speak about anything you'd like.

Any other matters, any other matters, any other matters?

Uh director, am I forgetting anything?

No, we're all good.

Just uh stay uh tuned when we send you the document.

I'm talking about future amendment.

Please just spend some time looking at them.

Just uh you would need just at least two budget one hour to look at them.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

I'll probably send them out ahead of time so you have time to look at them.

They're not quite ready yet, but I will get it.

We can talk about the two of them that we just read in tonight.

Yes, the new business we talked about tonight.

They're almost ready, but not quite.

As soon as they're ready, I will you know, probably I'll send them out to you so you have time to review them, and then they'll still be attached to the agenda for that night.

Perfect.

Also and I don't have anything for May 26th.

All right, just gonna ask Ms.

Reed is am I forgetting anything else?

No, and we don't have anything for May 26th, right?

And can anything come in or is the time already explained?

Too late.

Too late.

Commissioner members, enjoy May 26th.

Because you won't be you won't be a little box.

By the end of the matters, any other matters, any other matters?

Is there a motion to adjourn?

I'll make a motion to adjourn, Mr.

Chairman.

Motion by Commissioner Botello to adjourn.

Is there a second?

Second by Commissioner Jotty.

Any discussion?

All those in favor saying aye.

All right, opposed.

We're adjourned at 7 52.

Thank you, everyone.